Masonry restoration in Fayetteville, NC - old walls repointed and cleaned the gentle way
Crumbling joints, flaking brick or a damp wall? We repoint with mortar that suits your brick and clean it gently, so the wall lasts.
What does restoring an old brick wall actually involve?
Masonry restoration in Fayetteville, NC, mostly means repointing. We rake the worn mortar out from between the bricks, pack in new mortar and clean the wall gently, so water stays out and the old brick stays sound.
Most of the calls I get for this come from owners of older brick homes whose joints have gone sandy, whose brick faces are flaking, or whose wall stays damp. Some folks figure they need to cover a tired wall with stone veneer installation, and sometimes that's right, but a lot of old brick only needs its joints redone and a careful wash. The price mostly turns on how much wall there is, how far the old mortar has failed and how tall the wall is, since anything that needs scaffolding costs more per foot. The schedule turns on the weather, on any drainage fix that has to come first and on whether your house needs historic review. I'll look at your wall and give you an estimate, so you're working from your own wall's figure instead of a guess.
How can you tell old brick needs restoring?
Most of these show up well before a wall is in real trouble. Walk around the house on a dry day and look closely at the joints, the brick faces and the spots right under your gutters.
Mortar that crumbles when you rub it, or joints sunk back behind the brick face, has worn out.
Brick faces flaking or popping off often point to patch mortar that's harder than the brick around it.
A dark streak or washed-out joints under a downspout usually means water is running down the wall.
Damp spots or stained plaster along an outside wall can mean water is getting through the joints.
White powder on the brick usually means water is moving through the wall and leaving salts behind.
Gray patch mortar smeared over old joints usually means an earlier repair needs to come out and be redone.
If water is getting inside or bricks are coming loose, call (910) 302-3425 rather than waiting, because water keeps working on open joints until it's stopped.
What happens after you call us about your brick?
Here's how a restoration job runs with us, from the first call to the last sweep. I'm the one who looks at your wall, and I stay on the job until it's finished.
Call or send a message
You call (910) 302-3425 or send the form, and we get back to you to set up a time for me to come out. We answer the phone seven days a week, evenings included.
Walk the wall with you
I come out myself to look at the joints, the brick and where the water's getting in, and I answer whatever you want to ask. Then I give you an estimate for your wall and tell you which mortar and cleaning I'd use and why.
Sort out permits and timing
If you go ahead, we take care of any permit the job needs and sign for it as your contractor, and if it's unclear whether one's needed, we check with the office before we start. Then we set dates around the weather and any review your house needs.
Do the work, then clean up
I'm on site with our crew the whole way, starting with whatever is letting water onto the wall, then the joints, then the wash. When the work is done, we clean up before we leave.
Get a free estimate for your brick restoration
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come look at the wall with you and give you a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
- Call
- (910) 302-3425
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Cleaning and matching on older brick
On an older wall we clean as gently as the dirt allows, starting with low water pressure. Grinders, sanding discs and grit blasting get dirt off fast, but they usually take some of the brick's face with them, and once that hard outer skin is gone it doesn't come back. If low pressure won't move a stain, I'll tell you, and we'll talk it over before anything harsher touches your wall.
Matching is most of the job on old brick. We work to match the new mortar's color and texture to the old, and we shape the joints the way the original mason did, so the repair blends in instead of showing up as bright stripes. When a brick is too far gone, we look for a replacement close in size, color and hardness, because a mismatched brick weathers differently from its neighbors.
The same patience carries indoors. An old brick hearth or chimney breast often has the same worn joints as the outside walls, and if you'd rather start fresh, our fireplace installation work is built to suit the house around it. Either way, I'd rather take the time to explain the choice than rush you into one.
Questions about restoring brick in Fayetteville
How much does it cost to repoint a brick house in Fayetteville?
Repointing brick across the US usually costs about $3 to $25 per square foot, and that's the market's range for the joint work, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on the things covered above, mostly how worn the mortar is and how tall the wall is. Our on-site estimate gives you the figure for your own wall.
What is the best mortar for an older brick house?
An older brick house usually needs mortar that's softer and more porous than its bricks, because mortar is meant to wear away first and protect the brick. Hard portland-cement mortar on soft old brick can trap moisture until the pressure pops the brick faces off. Soft lime mortar is a good choice for historic houses and worth considering on many other repointing jobs, and whoever you hire, ask which mortar they plan to use.
What causes mortar to wash out of brick joints?
Water is the usual cause, and a leaking downspout can wash mortar right out of the joints below it. That's why drainage problems get fixed before any repointing, so the same leak doesn't go to work on the new mortar. I'll point out where the water's coming from when I look at your wall.
How long does a brick wall take to dry after washing?
A brick wall can take more than a week to dry after a water wash, so water cleaning should be finished several days before the first average frost date, because water left in the brick can freeze and crack it. Washing should also wait until the joints are sound and the wall is watertight, or water can seep inside, rust the metal anchors and ruin plaster. So on most jobs the joints come first and the wash comes after.
Who signs the permit application for masonry work in Fayetteville, NC?
The City of Fayetteville takes permit applications signed by a licensed contractor or that contractor's own employee, and anyone else's signature voids the permit. When we're your contractor, we take care of any permit your job needs and sign for it ourselves. The state licensing board also requires a general contractor's license once a project's total cost reaches $40,000 or higher, and we're fully licensed and insured.
Does masonry work on a house in a Fayetteville historic district need approval?
Yes, the city reviews all building work that affects the outside of buildings in its historic districts, and its Historic Resources Commission approves exterior changes there and on landmark properties. If you're not sure whether your house is covered, the city's Planning Department answers questions at (910) 433-1612. Let me know when you call, so we can plan the job around that review.
Related masonry work for older homes
Fireplace installation
When an old hearth is past saving or you'd like a fireplace where there isn't one, we build it in masonry that fits the house around it.
Stone veneer installation
If a wall is sound but has been patched too many times to look right, stone veneer gives it a fresh face without rebuilding it.
Get your old brick looked at
Call (910) 302-3425 or send the form with the wall's rough size and height and whether your house sits in a historic district, and I can plan the visit before I come out.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM